The Deck and Book Nook - Cat's Eye Tarot

I am an absolute animal lover and cats are my favorite species. Over the years, my feline companions have provided me with friendship, love and humor (and on occasion, worry and aggravation). I feel that cats have real “human” characteristics – which is perhaps why we relate to their expressions and actions so well.

I was intrigued when the Cats Eye Tarot (publisher: US Games, ISBN: 978-1-57281-685-5) by Debra M. Givin, DVM, landed on my desk. Would I be able to read with a deck that has no humans on it save for one or two as backdrops? Can cats convey messages that are appropriate for us?

I wasted no time digging into this deck to find out.

US Games consistently produces high quality decks. This one was no exception. The cards were standard sized (2.75” by 4.75”) with a glossy, smooth finish. The card stock is also sturdy – which is very important to me because I am a high volume tarot reader – and I allow clients to handle the cards. These were a dream to shuffle! Almost silky. Nice.

It comes with a standard little white book that has interpretations for each card. Sadly, there are no reversals so you’ll have to wing it if you use them. The deck is based on the Rider Waite Smith Deck and has 78 cards. The usual Majors, Minors, Suits and Court cards are represented here.

However despite the Rider Waite , this deck is strictly from a feline’s point of view. The author has been a veterinarian for almost 30 years with the majority of her career exclusively in feline practice. And her knowledge of cat’s moods and quirks is obvious.

The deck is lovingly and beautifully illustrated and the personalities of the cats shine through clearly. And here is what I loved: despite this being a “cat” deck, you can absolutely see real feelings and situations that humans could relate to – as well as the Rider Waite Smith interpretations. That is not an easy feat and I applaud the artist for this!

The Eight of Cups is a perfect card to illustrate this. In the picture a little boy is sitting on a porch with a new puppy in his arms. A black and white cat seems to be walking away from the situation. The look on the cat’s face seems to say “I’m done” or “I’m not wanted here any longer”. In the standard RWS deck, the image is of a man walking away into the unknown, leaving behind a row of perfectly stacked cups. The Cats Eye Tarot captures that same vibe.

The Majors are stunning with two of my favorites being The Lovers (two cats cuddling while a black cat lurks in the background – a perfect symbol for choice, which is a traditional RWS interpretation) and The Hanged Kitty (although admittedly, I like this cat because it looks a lot like one of my “guys”). Purple backgrounds indicate that the Majors are about spiritual events or fate.

The symbols in the Minors have been carefully chosen:

Wands – orange – creative energy – red tabbies – reptiles

Cups – red – emotional energy – black and white cats – fish

Pentacles – green and brown – earthy, practical, natural – brown tabbies – mice

Swords – blue – air, clarity, intellectual energy – Siamese – birds

These were brilliant choices in my opinion. Some of the cards playfully stick to standard RWS imagery (ex: 2 of Pentacles shows a cat batting around a mouse toy and the string almost forms an infinity symbol).

Others find a way to convey the energy of the card through unique feline experiences that are still things we can relate to (ex: the 10 of Swords shows desperate cats in a condemned house which we can see as loss, endings, being in a bad situation – a cat near a broken window suggests a way out ahead).

Some cards made me laugh out loud – especially the Aces which show a single paw in each one about to grab their “prey”. The Ace of Pentacles was my favorite.

I was concerned that the Court Cards would not work. I was wrong. You CAN relate the cats in the pictures to humans (ex: Queen of Pentacles shows a sturdy brown tabby with a protective look on her face. The author interprets this card as “the ultimate momma cat” which ties in perfectly with the traditional earthy characteristics of a Queen of Pentacles).

The backs have a lovely picture of a green eyed tabby and I have to admit, as I shuffled the cards I enjoyed seeing that face every time.

My husband and I spent some time doing readings and were amazed at how easy it was to read with the Cats Eye. These work just as well as any regular deck in my opinion. This deck is perfect for doing readings for cat lovers, children or anyone who is perhaps afraid of tarot. As the author states: “Cats can teach us many things about how to make the best of almost any situation”.

It is obvious to see that the author knows cats and tarot – very well. This deck is great.

I would recommend this deck not just for fans of felines but anyone who loves tarot and would like a “new vision” of the same old same old. (And for the record, my cat has been sitting on my lap for most of this review. I’m assuming he approves of this deck.)